Twelve

ch 15: Apollo and Hermes

"How did it go?" the youngest god inquired.

Apollo released an exasperated sigh as he sunk into a glimmering hammock. "Cancer was stubborn as usual, Gemini was less welcoming than anticipated. Overall, incredibly tiring."

"Pythia told me you gave them Scorpio's name. Was that wise? She had to have heard you."

"I gave them one of his more obscure names. It's not as if I said 'It is Scorpius. Now run along and attempt to guess who it could possibly be'. I'm not that much of an idiot- don't you dare rebuke me on that point."

Hermes chuckled. "You know me so well. But still, I thought your sister knew Scorpio by all of his names."

"Some draw significantly less attention than others. I told them the name Nepa. Tell me, god of travel, are you familiar with that one?"

Hermes bit his lip delicately as he pondered over the name. "Only vaguely. I believe those over near Atlantis use it the most, and even then, rarely."

Apollo smiled smugly, eager to share his genius with his brother. "Athena hates Atlantis."

Hermes nodded once, mildly acknowledging his brother's cleverness. "Being that it is an obscure name, will they be able to figure it out?"

"I gave them a riddle too."

"Is it. . .difficult?"

"Phythia crafted it."

Hermes sighed and brought up a tired hand into his hair in exasperation. "They're never going to figure it out."

"Hermes, they're not idiots. They will decipher it soon enough."

"You don't understand! Pythia's riddles are literally the worst I have ever seen. I have trouble deciphering them. In my entire life, I have met maybe two people that were able to solve a riddle from Pythia and that was with at least a month of deciphering."

"You are just being dramatic. I have faith in them."

"One time I asked her for the time and she told me, verbatim, 'It is when the sun begins to glow and the moon shies away. The stars recede and let the clouds fill the lightening sky.' I gave up and just walked away."

"Sounds like five o'clock in the morning."

"The point is not that you could figure it out, it's that I couldn't. Those constellations are in so much trouble. This is doing nothing to move along your goals."

"Trust me, the riddle for the constellations is even easier than the time one she gave to you. I did a bit of editing to the riddle, for Time's sake. Pythia wants to help them too."

Hermes rolled his eyes. "As if that really matters. And I highly doubt that she wants to help them, but is rather just following orders from a certain sun god."

Apollo shrugged. "Just have a little faith."

"Oh, brother, I would love to, but I know better to put my faith in the gods."

I'm so sorry I really thought I'd updated this ages ago but I was wrong??